If there's an issue with Ireland overall, I suspect it might have a lot to do with the relatively large rural population actually. Outside of Dublin (which isn

If there's an issue with Ireland overall, I suspect it might have a lot to do with the relatively large rural population actually. Outside of Dublin (which isn't that big in itself and has infrastructure issues that limit its potential as a city too), there's a pretty limited range of social options. With any kind of remotely niche social option (e.g. community theatre) you'll probably be able to build enough of an audience for one small established group of people who all know each other (who may be very welcoming, but this is still intimidating to a newcomer) but there won't be enough to build a secondary option... there's a tendency for things to drift into a social endgame, maybe? I dunno if I'm being coherent...